St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Authority of Bishops

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News (October 20, 2013):

On the occasion of His Excellency, Bishop Ronald Fabbro’s upcoming first visit to the St. Benedict Tridentine Community at Assumption Church on Sunday, November 3 for the 2:00 PM Mass, it is fitting to recall St. Ignatius of Antioch’s words with regards to one’s bishop:

“See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. […] Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. […] Whatsoever [the bishop] shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.” (St. Ignatius: Letter to the Smyrnaeans; Ch 8)

“Let all things therefore be done by you with good order in Christ. Let the laity be subject to the deacons; the deacons to the presbyters; the presbyters to the bishop; the bishop to Christ, even as He is to the Father.” (St. Ignatius: Letter to the Smyrnaeans; Ch 9)

“It is becoming, therefore, that ye also should be obedient to your bishop, and contradict him in nothing; for it is a fearful thing to contradict any such person.” (St. Ignatius: Letter to the Magnesians; Ch 3)

“It is therefore necessary that, as ye indeed do, so without the bishop ye should do nothing, but should also be subject to the presbytery, as to the apostle of Jesus Christ, who is our hope, in whom, if we live, we shall [at last] be found. It is fitting also that the deacons, as being [the ministers] of the mysteries of Jesus Christ, should in every respect be pleasing to all [...] let all reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ, and the bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father, and the presbyters as the sanhedrin of God, and assembly of the apostles. Apart from these, there is no Church [...] he who does anything apart from the bishop, and presbytery, and deacons, such a man is not pure in his conscience.” (St. Ignatius: Letter to the Trallians; Chs 2-3, 7)

Let us rejoice in the unity that Catholics enjoy, from the local church and priest, through the diocesan bishop, to the Holy Father in Rome. Our Lord intends for us to worship and grow spiritually together as members of the Church which He founded. Mankind gains graces by following authentic authority according to His plan. Flint Anniversary Mass on October 27

Next Sunday, October 27, the Tridentine Mass Community at Flint’s All Saints Church will celebrate a milestone – its 25th Anniversary – with a Solemn High Mass. The guest celebrant will be Fr. James Buckley, FSSP, Spiritual Director of the Fraternity of St. Peter’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. Music will be provided by the choir of Windsor’s St. Benedict Tridentine Community at Assumption Church. A dinner will follow the Mass in Our Lady of Lebanon Church Hall.

All Souls Day Mass at Our Lady of the Scapular

All Souls Day, Saturday, November 3, is shaping up to be one of the busiest ever in local Tridentine history. Wyandotte, Michigan’s Our Lady of the Scapular Parish (formerly known as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) will hold a High Mass at 9:30 AM. This is in addition to the 9:00 AM Low Mass at St. Hyacinth Church, and the 4:00 PM Low Masses and 5:00 PM Solemn High Mass at St. Hugo’s Stone Chapel in Bloomfield Hills.

Schola Sancta Caecilia Releases CD

One of Michigan’s most unique and interesting Tridentine Mass choirs is the Schola Sancta Caecilia from Grand Rapids’ Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. This is a group of high-school aged young ladies who sing sacred music. They have just released their first CD, entitled Stella Splendens. It’s an ethereal sound, rarely heard elsewhere and well worth a listen. Further information and audio samples are available at: www.cdbaby.com/cd/scholasanctacaecilia.

Rosary Crusade in London, England

Providing further evidence that traditional Catholicism seems to have a higher public profile in London than in almost any other major city, Latin Mass Society of England and Wales Chairman Joseph Shaw reported that approximately 2,000 people took part in the annual Rosary Crusade of Reparation last Saturday, October 12. The procession made its way from Westminster Cathedral through the busy retail streets of Sloane Square and Knightsbridge, ending at the London Oratory. [Photo by Joseph Shaw]

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

• Mon. 10/21 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (St. Hilarion, Abbot)
• Tue. 10/22 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Votive Mass for the Unity of the Church)
• Sun. 10/27 4:00 PM: Solemn High Mass at All Saints, Flint (Christ the King)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat (Detroit) and Assumption (Windsor) bulletin inserts for October 20, 2013. Hat tip to A.B., author of the column.]